What to do with Injured Apple Snail?

[Saje]

With apple snails, supposedly it's a bit more humane, if you're going the freezing route, to put them in some of their tank water and put it in the fridge first to slowly cool down. In cool temps (like fridge), they essentially hibernate. THEN put in the freezer so they are assumedly already "asleep" before freezing. Putting it right from tank water into the freezer can bring on freezing "too fast" if you will.

And on the subject of smashing them, since there are some people who are adamantly opposed to freezing... One way I have heard that removes you slightly from it (just slightly, I know), but still is quick, immediate, and definite, is to put him in a zip lock bag, and back over him with your car tire. Gruesome and horrid, yes I know, and not sure I could ever do this, but it is, at least, a truly quick way to do the smash thing, and doesn't have to be delivered by your hand. Just something to keep in mind for "if."

Dunno about clove oil - not sure if anyone knows yet if it works on snails. :huh:

So sorry about your guy.

 

[mel_20_20]

With apple snails, supposedly it's a bit more humane, if you're going the freezing route, to put them in some of their tank water and put it in the fridge first to slowly cool down. In cool temps (like fridge), they essentially hibernate. THEN put in the freezer so they are assumedly already "asleep" before freezing. Putting it right from tank water into the freezer can bring on freezing "too fast" ....

I agree with saje. In the wild they go into a sleep state as temps drop, so cooling down in the fridge for a few hours and then going into the freezer, and I keep them in there overnight, will insure the are humanely euthanized.

So sorry for your losses.

 

[Piranha86]

I would suggest putting him in water and then put a bunch of crushed ice in the water. You could also put some clove oil in there, if you have access. I think like 5 drops per cup would be sufficient along with the ice. I say this because to anesthesize fish, it's one drop per cup. But if you put it in a sealed cup with a wet paper towel th the bottom, you could stick it in the freezer. That would slow it down and the snail would feel little pain. Regardless, the stomp-method would be the quickest. It's how I "euthanize" pond snails in my other tanks.

 

[Piranha86]

One way I have heard that removes you slightly from it (just slightly, I know), but still is quick, immediate, and definite, is to put him in a zip lock bag, and back over him with your car tire.

You could probably drop a math book on it as opposed to a car tire. You might want to put him in the fridge to get him to hibernate first, if it makes you feel better. Sorry about your snail.

 

[Saje]

Yeah - thanks for the clarification. I did not mean that they'd *need* something as substantial as a car to smush them - only meant that it's preferable to some because it's absolute (no way you're gonna miss, or not do it hard enough, or misjudge how hard the shell is etc etc etc), immediate, and maybe most important to some, doesn't require that you actually be the one doing the squishing firsthand, as it were.